Police Admit Molestation Video Fake But “Accused” Still in Jail

A little over a month ago, in Rajasthan’s Hindu-majority Hindoli, a video went viral showing an elderly man in a white skull cap and kurta-pyjama, molesting a child. Being shot from overhead, it was hard to identify the man or the location but word spread that the man “resembled” 81-year-old Abdul Ansari and that the young girl looked like a Rajput girl from the neighbourhood.

Since then, there were protests on the streets done separately by BJP, Bajrang Dal, VHP and Karni Sena, damaging Ansari’s home and property. Police have admitted that the man in the video was not Ansari, yet the old man continues to be in prison, 27 days and counting, as Indian Express reported.

On 31 July, the girl’s father lodged an FIR, after recognising his daughter’s frock. The FIR was filed under IPC Section 376 (rape) as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against Abdul. Ansari was picked the same day.

Ansari’s 41-year-old son Shahadat Ali Ansari said:

Police took him for questioning at about 6 am but let him go. Later however, a few men, four of them journalists, started spreading rumours that we had ‘bribed’ the police.

Their house was surrounded by a crowd of 300-400 people and around 10 policemen have been stationed outside Ansari’s home since.

In a statement, the girl confirmed that Ansari frequented her father’s paan shop and led her away once on the pretext of giving sweets and molested her four times, threatening to kill her if she told anyone.

The official called the girl’s testimony dubious. Officials also claim they have a video of the girl sitting with her mother, uncle and police, denying that she was molested and stated that she made the comments after being threatened by her father.

Yet, the girl sticks by her statement and her family wants Abdul punished.

Abdul’s family says their protests have been ignored and that Ansari is being framed as part of a larger conspiracy to defame Muslims.